Karnataka power supply is set to receive an additional 1,000 megawatts from November 1 through an electricity exchange arrangement with Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, BESCOM managing director N. Shivashankar said. With another 1,000 MW becoming available from October 1 under an earlier agreement, the state is expected to have access to a total additional 2,000 MW.
Shivashankar said the arrangements had been made to prevent electricity shortages as demand rises in the coming months. He was speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Monday. The state’s electricity demand crossed 20,000 MW on September 11, the highest level recorded so far, and could increase by another 5% in the coming months, he said.
The additional availability follows a power exchange arrangement under which Karnataka supplied 1,000 MW to Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh from June to September. That electricity became available to Karnataka again from October 1. A further 1,000 MW is expected from the three states from November 1, taking the total additional availability to 2,000 MW.
The demand pressure has been linked to lower-than-expected rainfall, which increased electricity use by agricultural pump sets and air-conditioning systems. Wind power generation also fell sharply during September. Daily electricity consumption in the month rose to between 330 million and 350 million units, compared with 230 million to 240 million units a day during September last year, Shivashankar said.
Karnataka’s wind power generation capacity is between 2,500 MW and 3,000 MW, but generation fell to 200-300 MW during September. Shivashankar said this contributed to the pressure on the state’s power system. Generation has since shown some improvement, reaching 686 MW on Monday.
The higher demand and reduced availability have also increased procurement costs. BESCOM normally purchases electricity at about ₹6.50 per unit, while purchases in the open market can cost ₹7-8 per unit. In September, however, the maximum price paid rose to ₹10 per unit. Shivashankar said the higher procurement cost could result in a slight increase in consumers’ electricity bills.
BESCOM is also asking consumers to reduce the use of appliances during the evening peak period between 6 pm and 9 pm. Washing machines and water pumps could be operated at other times, while consumers have also been advised to limit air-conditioner use during the peak window. The utility plans to issue a circular detailing the requested changes in electricity use and conduct public awareness activities.
Separately, Shivashankar said 32,000 agricultural borewells in Karnataka had received solar pump sets under the Kusum-B scheme, while installations were under way at another 8,000 borewells. Tenders have also been invited for the first phase of 515 electric-vehicle charging stations under the PM E-DRIVE scheme.
BESCOM has given consumers another opportunity to submit documents for verification under the Gruha Jyothi scheme by October 31. The managing director said some beneficiaries had not provided the required documents, while several premises were found locked or vacant during verification visits. Consumers can submit the documents at the offices of BESCOM and the concerned electricity supply companies before the deadline.
